Annuloplasty is a procedure that treats or reconstructs a cardiac valve, usually the mitral valve. An annuloplasty ring is a device that is commonly used in that procedure. Referring to FIG. 1 an annuloplasty ring is sutured into place, in or near the tissue of a valve annulus 4 of the heart 2, and acts to reduce the circumference of the valve annulus 4. The annuloplasty ring may be circular, shaped as a different closed shape, C-shaped, or shaped as another open shape, and may be rigid, semi-rigid or flexible. That ring is typically smaller in diameter than the valve 6 being treated, in order to reduce its circumference and make the valve 6 competent. While the treatment of valve disease or incompetence with an annuloplasty ring is safe and effective, the installation of that annuloplasty ring is time-consuming due to the need to suture the annuloplasty ring in place, and as a result the patient must spend an appreciable amount of time connected to a heart-lung machine with the heart arrested during the operation.
The use of the same reference symbols in different figures indicates similar or identical items.